Could a four-day work week be the norm in the future?

Belgians now have the right to ask their employers for a four-day workweek and ignore their bosses after work without feeling guilty.

According to the Belgian government, the reform comes with a bunch of other revisions to the country’s labor laws. With the intention to make the work week more flexible, employees can choose to work fewer days and have the right to turn off work devices and ignore work-related messages during out of office hours.

The sole purpose of these labor market reforms, including new rules on night-working, was to create a more dynamic and productive economy, according to Belgium’s prime minister Alexander De Croo. “If you compare our country with others, you’ll often see we’re far less dynamic,” he said. “After two difficult years, the labor market has evolved. With this agreement, we are setting the benchmarks for a good economy.”

The four-day workweek has been thriving across the globe like in Iceland where trials took place from 2015 to 2019. It became an “overwhelming success” which led employers to implement shorter hours. Productivity remained the same or even improved in the majority of workplaces. Employees have reported their work-life balance has significantly improved, feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout. They also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies, and do household chores.

Companies in Silicon Valley rolled out the policy last year which has become a go-to perk. Some adopted the scheme temporarily to offer three-day weekends over the summer, but other companies like Bolt have adopted it permanently. Microsoft’s Japan offices also put out trials and saw an increase of 40% in productivity. The British multinational consumer goods company Unilever also embarked on the four-day work week trial while other countries like New Zealand, Sweden, and Spain who’ve given it a try have proven its success.

One point has become clear: the belief that longer working hours equals more productivity isn’t necessarily true, and we now have proof.